What can you do when a proposed bike trail encounters obstacles such as power poles.
Proposed bike trail in Shawnee, Kansas
This is a classic problem:
One solution is to split the trail into two five-foot one-way treads on either side of the obstacle. Less attractive if you have to do that 20 times around all the poles.
Ideally, the lines could be underground as it would also make for an aesthetic corridor. Some utilities have funds for undergrounding. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AAHSTO) permits going to 8' wide for short distances where no other options are available and use is not very heavy. AAHSTO also calls for a 5' minimum buffer between road and trail or a 42" minimum high barrier. The Minnesota Trails Design Manual shows a minimum 3' buffer.
Another solution might be to create a two-way buffered cycle track by taking out the curb and and using some of the shoulder of the road along with the grassy median-or alternatively pushing the curb out into the road by narrowing the traffic lanes though drainage reconfiguration might be a nightmare.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) publishes the Urban Bikeway Design Guide. This guide is a blueprint for designing 21st century streets. The Guide unveils the toolbox and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant. The Guide outlines both a clear vision for complete streets and a basic road map for how to bring them to fruition.
The Federal Highway Administration's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program's Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide consolidates lessons learned from practitioners designing and implementing separated bike lanes throughout the U.S.
In any and all cases an engineer should be consulted to assure any solution is safe and functional.
Our Resources by State page explores training, articles, organization, and authors by state, which may be helpful.
Published February 21, 2012
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Defining a trail corridor in law, policy, and planning.
Design for Understanding: Protecting Trail Users in the Time of Covid-19
Don Meeker, president of Terrabilt, reflects on trails as a critical sanctuary during COVID-19, and provides guidance on signage to keep everyone on trails safe. Terrabilt will also provide the production artwork for their COVID-19 trail sign for free.
Mountain Bike Trails Concept Plan for Moose River Plains Wild Forest
IMBA Trail Solutions visited the Moose River Plains Wild Forest for one week in October of 2013 to conduct field research, meet with stakeholders, and to begin the process of developing a conceptual design for mountain bike use in the area. All of the designs presented in this report are conceptual in nature and have not been completely field verified. Additional work will need to be done in the field to finalize the designs of reroutes and proposed trails described in this report.
Bike parks are not trails. They are managed similarly to city parks. They require a higher standard of care. They need to be professionally designed and constructed.
